He's a cagey one, that Gov. Bobby Jindal. Will he endorse U.S. Sen. David Vitter for re-election or not?

First he said he absolutely wouldn't, and then his flack suggested he might later. Isn't the suspense just killing you?

No, me neither. And probably not Vitter. Jindal's agonizing won't make any difference to the GOP or Louisiana either. But that, of course, is not the object. Uppermost in Jindal's thoughts is the future of Jindal.

If he does finally come out for Vitter, the effect will be nil. Even a wholehearted and early endorsement would probably have been irrelevant; if the polls are to be believed, the election is more or less a foregone conclusion.

Now that Vitter appears home and dry, Jindal, to borrow a phrase from Dr. Johnson, can only encumber him with help.

Whether it would help Jindal's prospects for high office is the question, and the answer is probably no. The GOP might welcome his loyalty to the cause, but the party will be behind him in his future endeavors regardless. An endorsement now, moreover, would provide yet another reminder that Jindal's word is not to be trusted. He may be dithering now, but he was adamant to start with, declaring that he would stay out of the race because voters could make up their own mind.

On reflection, he has concluded they might need his help after all.

Jindal initially declared that his policy was not to get involved in federal races, which raised serious concerns that the strain of high office might be addling his brain. He had evidently forgotten his efforts on behalf of candidates for the U.S. Senate and House over the last few years. A flack was wheeled out to explain that Jindal's non-involvement policy applied only to the current cycle.

Jindal had just forgotten to mention that, but no matter, because now he has forgotten about his policy entirely. "The governor hasn't gotten involved in the Senate race yet" is the current line from his flack. Perhaps the strain really is beginning to tell.

Jindal has been busy lately, ensuring that no photo op is neglected in response to the BP oil spill and darting around the coast touting berms. Some scientists warned that Jindal's hasty solution could actually cause even more environmental damage. Sure enough, the EPA has concluded that the berms built so far have disrupted tidal patterns while failing to protect the wetlands.

Still, Jindal's energetic response has been good for his poll numbers, and some candidates might benefit from his reflected glory. But Vitter has no need of it because his opponent, Congressman Charlie Melancon, is saddled with President Barack Obama's reflected opprobrium.

To depict Melancon as the mirror image of Obama may hardly be fair, but just being a Democrat is a crushing disadvantage right now, especially in Louisiana. Vitter calls for an unconditional end to the drilling moratorium, for instance, while Melancon favors a more nuanced approach. Nuanced and Democratic is almost certainly a fatal combination.

Endorsing an almost certain winner at the last minute may not be bold, but at least it would improve Jindal's record. His chosen candidates have usually been soundly beaten.

Whatever his endorsement policy in Louisiana, Jindal has always been happy to criss-cross the country in support of GOP candidates, and drum up support for his own ambitions. His next excursion, Monday, is to Minnesota, where he will grace a fundraiser for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is expected to run for president in 2012.

Jindal would rather be president himself, as most politicians would, but he may have decided that his turn will come later. He says he wants nothing more than to run for re-election, but that is hard to believe. The governor's job in Louisiana is about to become much less attractive, since it involves wrestling with a deficit estimated at $2 billion and cutting department budgets by as much as 35 percent.

Surely Jindal will see the vice presidency or a cabinet post not only as an escape route from a mess he has helped to create but as a step on the way to the top prize. If he were sure Vitter could help, he would have endorsed him by now.

James Gill is a columnist for The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at jgill@timespicayune.com or at